The Philippine Trade Training Center, the training arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), marks its 32nd year this February. Marking this milestone is the establishment of the Global MSME Academy (GMEA) under PTTC’s auspices.

“Secretary Mon Lopez expanded the role of PTTC to cover the development and upgrading of MSMEs to become innovative and competitive for the local and foreign markets,” says PTTC Executive Director Nestor Palabyab, CESO III.

GMEA pushes PTTC’s training framework to the next level – that is, helping MSMEs globalize. “PTTC has always provided our entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs with cohesive training programs that will allow them to pursue either an export-oriented business, or one that is focused on the domestic market. But through the Global MSME Academy, our MSMEs can be equipped with the necessary knowhow to take their operations to different parts of the world,” says Palabyab.

Republic Act No 9501, the Magna Carta for MSMEs, recognizes the vital role of MSMEs in economic growth. DTI’s MSME Plan 2017-2022 envisions MSMEs that are regionally integrated, sustainable and among the key drivers of innovation. PTTC’s MSME mentorship role is articulated in the Administrative Code of 1987 and Executive Order no. 133, series of 1987.♦

Date of Release: 27 February 2019